Category: News

By Shailee Desai ’21

Two years ago, in celebration of the 175th anniversary of Wyoming Seminary, The Opinator interviewed Mrs. Gail Smallwood, Sem’s Associate Director of Communications. “The overall resiliency of the Wyoming Seminary community is demonstrated over and over again,” said Mrs. Smallwood in reference to Sem’s strength after the financial booms and panics of the 1800’s, the Fire of 1853, the Civil War, World War I and II, and Hurricane Agnes. “The mission of the school continues to energize us and keep us going.”

At the time, neither Mrs. Smallwood nor the Sem community was aware that in just two years, our school would face another test of resiliency: a global pandemic. After erupting in the spring of 2020, COVID-19 has spread to almost every corner of the world, infecting over 23 million people and killing over 800,000. Schools and colleges have been shut down for months, while their students remain at home resuming their classes through virtual methods. Countries have declared national emergencies, and cities have declared lockdowns after shutting down their stores, businesses, and restaurants. Friends and families in quarantine have been separated from their loved ones for months, and the future of the virus still remains uncertain.

Through this, however, the resiliency of the Sem community has yet again shone through; after being separated and quarantined for over five months, Sem students will begin their return to campus on September 8, which will mark the commencement of an untraditional and unprecedented school year.

To both mark the historical importance of this pandemic and to celebrate Sem’s spirit and strength despite the challenges the virus has brought, The Opinator has compiled the first ever summer edition of the newspaper in school history. Containing five articles (including this introduction), the edition will cover sports and the pandemic, Sem’s newest class deans, and misinformation revolving around the virus. We hope you enjoy and remain safe and healthy before we reconvene in just a few weeks.

-The Opinator Staff

COVID-19: Fact vs. Fiction

Photo courtesy of BBC News

By Sasha Roumyantseva

With seemingly endless amounts of information on the internet, web users can often struggle to remember all the information they read or hear, let alone determine if that information is true or not. According to recent studies conducted by the Bruno Kessler Foundation in Italy, every day in March 2020 an average of 46,000 new posts on Twitter led to inaccurate or misleading information about the pandemic. Since social media platforms like Twitter are from where many people receive their primary information about the crisis, The Opinator has compiled a list of fiction you may have been told is fact, and fact you may have been told is fiction.

Fiction: An accurate way to test if you have COVID-19 is to check if you can hold your breath for more than 10 seconds. 

The only way to accurately check if you have the virus is to get a laboratory test.

Fact: Vaccines against pneumonia do not protect against the COVID-19 virus.

Vaccines against pneumonia, such as pneumococcal vaccine and Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) vaccine, do not provide protection against the new coronavirus. The virus is so new and different that it needs its own vaccine. Researchers are trying to develop a vaccine against COVID-19, and the World Health Organization is supporting their efforts. 

Fiction: “Certain foods and vitamins can help fight off COVID-19.”

At this time, no food or supplement has been proven to prevent or treat COVID-19. Researchers are, however, studying a number of  vitamins and supplements, including zinc, vitamins C and D, and melatonin, to see if they can be helpful.  

Fact: People of all ages can be affected by the virus.

Older people and younger people can be infected by the COVID-19 virus. Older people and people with pre-existing medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, and heart disease, appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill from the virus.  

Fiction: COVID-19 isn’t harmful to young adults and children.

Children’s symptoms tend to be milder than those in adults, that is if they show symptoms at all. Recent reports, however, indicate that some children may develop life-threatening complications that can affect the heart and other organs. 

Fact: There are no medicines that can prevent or treat the virus.

To date, there is no specific antiviral treatment recommended to prevent or treat the new coronavirus. Those who have a possible or confirmed case of the virus are encouraged to stay home except to get medical care, monitor their symptoms carefully, remain rested and hydrated, and stay in quarantine. 

Fiction: Coronavirus can be transmitted through mail.

Experts are still learning how the new coronavirus spreads, but it’s believed that the virus primarily spreads from person-to-person through infectious respiratory droplets.

As research surrounding the virus and its spread continues to develop, The Opinator encourages its readers to refer to reliable sources of information to learn about the pandemic, such as the Center for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, and county and state health departments. Misinformation can have devastating effects, so hopefully this article has taught you something new about the pandemic or helped you debunk false facts that you’ve read.